Information publication scheme
Agency Plan
Who we are
What we do
- Functions and Decision-making Powers of the Ombudsman
- Commonwealth Ombudsman
- Issues papers
- Defence Force Ombudsman (DFO)
- Immigration Ombudsman
- Law Enforcement Ombudsman
- Overseas Students Ombudsman (OSO)
- Postal Industry Ombudsman (PIO)
- Private Health Insurance Ombudsman (PHIO)
- Public Interest Disclosure
- VET Student Loans Ombudsman (VSLO)
Memorandums of Understanding
- Between the Commonwealth Ombudsman and the Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security
- Between the Commonwealth Ombudsman and the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner
- Between the Commonwealth Ombudsman and the ACT Disability and Community Services Commissioner
Delegations and Authorisations
- Instrument of Appointment – Ombudsman Act 1976
- Instrument of Appointment – Public Interest Disclosure Act 2013
- Instrument of Authorisation – Australian Federal Police Act 1979
- Instrument of Authorisation – Building and Construction Industry (Improving Productivity) Act 2016
- Instrument of Authorisation – Fair Work Act 2009
- Instrument of Authorisation - Freedom of Information Act 1982
- Instrument of Authorisation – Public Order (Protection of Persons and Property) Act 1971
- Instrument of Authorisation – Witness Protection Act 1994
- Instrument of Delegation - Ombudsman Act 1976 and AFP Act 1979
- Instrument of Delegation – Public Interest Disclosure Act 2013
- Instrument of Delegation – Telecommunications (Interception and Access) Act 1979
- Instrument of Delegation and Appointment – Crimes Act 1914
- Instrument of Delegation and Appointment – Surveillance Devices Act 2004
Our reports and responses to Parliament
- Administrative files
- Annual reports
- Detention review assessments
- Inspection reports
- Investigation reports
- State of the Health Funds reports
Disclosure log
Our finances
The financial statements of the Commonwealth Ombudsman are included in the appendices to our Annual Reports.
Audit and Risk Committee
Routinely requested information
Not applicable.
Consultation arrangements
Not applicable.
Contact Us
- Contact details for the Office of Commonwealth Ombudsman
- Requests for information held by the our Office
Complaints about the IPS
If you have any questions, complaints, comments or suggestions about our Information Publication Scheme you can use our online enquiry form. Alternatively you can download and complete our Compliments or complaints about our service form.
Guidance on IPS:
The Information Publication Scheme (IPS) makes agencies, with some exceptions, publish on their website certain information they hold, as well as an information publication plan. The IPS encourages agencies to be open and transparent, and consider publishing information that they aren’t obliged to publish.
The published information must be accurate, up to date and complete. You may find it on an agency’s website by looking for the IPS icon or searching for ‘freedom of information’ or ’IPS’.
The IPS doesn’t require an agency to publish information exempt from disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (FOI Act) or is prohibited from being released under other laws.
What is an information publication plan?
An information publication plan explains what information the agency proposes to publish, how they intend to publish it and what else they intend to do to comply with the IPS. Usually, an agency publishes their information publication plan on their website.
What other information must be published?
An agency must publish on their website:
- details of their structure (for example, an organisational chart)
- details of their functions, including their decision-making powers and other powers affecting the public
- details of statutory appointments
- their annual reports
- details of consultations for the public to comment on specific policy proposals
- information in documents that the agency routinely gives access to in response to requests under the FOI Act
- information that they routinely give to the Australian Parliament
- details of an officer(s) who can be contacted about access to the agency’s documents under the FOI Act
- their operational information (information that helps the agency exercise their functions or powers to make decisions or recommendations that affect the public, such as their rules, guidelines, practices and precedents about those decisions or recommendations)
An agency may publish other information, apart from the above information. For example, statistical information that researchers or the public would find useful.